In art, the only one who really knows whether what you've done is honest is the artist. Bruce Nauman More Quotes by Bruce Nauman More Quotes From Bruce Nauman If you really want to do it, you do it. There are no excuses. Bruce Nauman excuse-you no-excuses want What is it that an artist does when he is left alone in his studio? My conclusion was that if I was an artist and I was in the studio, then everything I was doing in the studio should be art . . . . From that point on, art became more of an activity and less of a product. Bruce Nauman should doe art A good teacher is like a good artist. They go right to the most difficult part of whatever's going on. Bruce Nauman difficult artist teacher My work is basically an outgrowth of the anger I feel about the human condition. The aspects of it that make me angry are our capacity for cruelty and the ability people have to ignore situations they don't like. Bruce Nauman aspect capacity people I want to be in the studio. I want to be doing something. You just do whatever is at hand, and you don't even worry about whether it's going to be interesting or not interesting to anybody else-or even yourself. You just have to make something. Bruce Nauman worry hands interesting If I was an artist, and I was in the studio, then whatever I was doing in the studio must be art. Bruce Nauman studios artist art When I was in art school, I thought art was something I would learn how to do, and then I would just do it. At a certain point I realized that it wasn't going to work like that. Basically, I would have to start over every day and figure out what art was going to be. Bruce Nauman figures art school The true artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths. Bruce Nauman artist helping world What I am really concerned about is what art is supposed to be - and can become. Bruce Nauman art-is concerned art Did you stop because it was good enough, or could have done more - but then maybe ruined it too? Sometimes you finish because you've gone too far. Bruce Nauman done gone sometimes In the studio, I don't do a lot of work that requires repetitive activity. I spend a lot of time looking and thinking and then try to find the most efficient way to get what I want, whether it's making a drawing or a sculpture, or casting plaster or whatever. Bruce Nauman drawing trying thinking And I don't have any specific steps to take because I don't start the same way every time. But there is a knowing when it's enough and you can leave it alone. Bruce Nauman knowing leave-me-alone way I'm surprised when the work appears beautiful, and very pleased. And I think work can be very good and very successful without being able to call it beautiful, although I'm not clear about that. The work is good when it has a certain completeness; and when it's got a certain completeness, then it's beautiful. Bruce Nauman successful beautiful thinking If you choose the wrong questions and you proceed, you still get a result, but it's not interesting. Bruce Nauman results stills interesting It's interesting when you make things or do things that open up the possibilities for making more things, or different kinds of things. Bruce Nauman different kind interesting My videos always involve some idea of a human being in a unusual situation-and what happens. Bruce Nauman unusual video ideas Learn to recognise when you need to know something. Bruce Nauman recognise knows needs I'll talk. You'll listen. Bruce Nauman listen-to-your-heart heart Generalised anger and frustration is something that gets you in the studio, and gets you to work - though it's not necessarily evident in anything that's finished. Bruce Nauman studios frustration anger And sometimes the question that you pose or the project that you start yourself turns into something else, you know, but at least it gets you started. Bruce Nauman turns projects sometimes
